Reduced load or new caliber?

[std7mag]

Switching from 7WSM to 280AI is virtually no change. If I was that concerned about recoil, I'd look to a new rifle/chamber in a 6mm or 6.5mm cartridge. Guys are killing elk at a mile or two with the 6.5 Manbun. Add a good brake and the recoil will be so light that anyone could shoot it.

Yeah, we've heard all about the Manbun shooting flies off of a T-Rex at 3 miles.
Dropping elk at one to two miles with one is in the same league.

Manbun? ****.....I have long hair and just bought a Savage 110 Tactical in 6.5 PRC! This is very embarrassing.............

Thank you for the replies.

Really can not go to a lighter bullets as the barrel is long throated for heavier for caliber bullets. Furthermore the barrel is aluminum sleeved. Not sure if the barrel would be a candidate to be threaded. Guess I could use a Witt Machine slip over brake.

My rifle is based off of a Savage 110 small shank long action with blind magazine (yeah, I know I am in the dark ages) , so if I go with a 26" 280AI magnum contour threaded barrel, this will add about 1 pound plus of weight and the use of a brake. Throw a heavier scope on as well?

From the recoil comparison charts I have looked at, for the the same weight rifle and comparable load , the 7mm WSM has at least 20% more felt recoil over the 280AI, with the 280AI only having 100-150FPS velocity loss. Probably easier to reduce the load further with the 280AI.

Ok, several things come immediately to mind.

1) the WSM cartridges in the Savage was usually a large shank. Model 16 or 116. Unless it's been previously rebarreled.

2) the WSM is a magnum bolt face. You'd have to change the bolt face to a "standard" (0.473") bolt face.

3) the magazine rails are going to be different for the WSM vs the 280AI. Opened up more and shorter for the WSM.

4) your recoil measurements are for actual recoil energy, not "felt" recoil. Felt recoil is an individual thing with many things influencing it.
The individual, weight of the rifle, shape & fit of the stock, braked, not braked, silenced.

 

[Greatgrandad]

ALL rifle cartridges can be reduce loaded in various ways, lighter weight bullets in a mono, AB, Partition, etc, and then there is always a muzzle brake.

For decades, we've loaded down certain cartridges for the kids then grandkids, other youth or petite females buy using lighter bullets, smaller charges of faster powders, and in some cases, we used various pistol powders found in various cast bullet manuals like Lyman.

You can use a Barnes 110 TTSX and 62-63 grains of IMR 4350 for around 3,200 fps. If that is not light enough, try using a couple of other faster powders in reduced loads.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Yeah, we've heard all about the Manbun shooting flies off of a T-Rex at 3 miles.
Dropping elk at one to two miles with one is in the same league.

That was said "tongue in cheek" in case you didn't pick up on it. LOL

 

[john k]

Whichever cartridge you choose, installing a "Limbsaver " or "Backfire" recoil pad will also make or feel a noticeable difference. I shoot/hunt/load with .280AI and 7-08. 7mm-08 is an extremely efficient cartridge and very capable of fitting the bill out to 400 to 500 yards for hunting and longer for steel with mild recoil. Although I'm not sure what LR distance is your goal. 7-08!

 

[sourdough44]

I can easily download a 375 Ruger, 45-70, 444 Marlin, and others. Depending on the goals you can safely do the same.


Remember, you have the whole spectrum, from full power to minimum levels. For me it's usually not at either extreme.

 

[memtb]

I can easily download a 375 Ruger, 45-70, 444 Marlin, and others. Depending on the goals you can safely do the same.


Remember, you have the whole spectrum, from full power to minimum levels. For me it's usually not at either extreme.

Absolutely…..one of the beautiful things about hand loading! You can adjust downward to almost any level that you desire! memtb

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

..I'd think the 7mm/08 would be perfect for reducing the level of recoil your looking for while still maintaining plenty of horsepower. You'd easily cover most hunting needs by simply changing bullet weights..

 

[223Rem]

Yeah, we've heard all about the Manbun shooting flies off of a T-Rex at 3 miles.
Dropping elk at one to two miles with one is in the same league.


Ok, several things come immediately to mind.

1) the WSM cartridges in the Savage was usually a large shank. Model 16 or 116. Unless it's been previously rebarreled.

2) the WSM is a magnum bolt face. You'd have to change the bolt face to a "standard" (0.473") bolt face.

3) the magazine rails are going to be different for the WSM vs the 280AI. Opened up more and shorter for the WSM.

4) your recoil measurements are for actual recoil energy, not "felt" recoil. Felt recoil is an individual thing with many things influencing it.
The individual, weight of the rifle, shape & fit of the stock, braked, not braked, silenced.

Custom made 7mm WSM barrel, definitely small shank
Swapping out bolt head on Savage rifles is easy.
Built on a long action with blind box magazine so there is no issues.
All thing being the same, weight of rifle and comparable loads, recoil energy is the baseline for comparison.

I can shoot my 10 pound 6mm Creedmoor bolt gun all day, but it does have a small brake on it. Can shoot my 10 pound 6.5mm Creedmoor gas gun all day, but that also has a brake on it. Love to shoot my 14 pound M1A National Match, but have this thing tuned to point where felt recoil is less than the 6.5 CM.

Shoot past 600 yard (my range's limit) to a mile about 4 to 5 times a years and I would feel comfortable taking shots on game to about 800. However, ethically I feel the load still needs to have a certain amount of energy at that distance for clean kills. Really do not believe any standard short action cartridge has that ability, IMO.

May just have a heavier 7mm WSM threaded barrel made for me and just bring a lot of Advil on the hunts.

 

[Redleg84]

I built a 7wsm and found it to be a bit more than I like to shoot for extended periods as well. I was hoping that ordering the barrel at 20" and mounting a suppressor w/ brake would put it near my braked 7saum, but it doesn't tame the recoil nearly the same. It's not terrible, but it's definitely at my upper limits for acceptable recoil. The saum with the brake is very soft shooting but it's loud.

You could step it down to a saum sized cartridge if you wanted to change, add a small muzzle brake (1 or 2 chamber brake might not be as loud?), or maybe shoot a lighter bullet.

I opted to add a 7mm-08 recently as I found most of my shooting and hunting has been close lately. I figured a lighter gun shooting a lighter bullet would be more enjoyable.